Review : Bergman Microdermabrasion Cream

I have used a few creams that have crystals from different brands including Philosophy and Alpha-H but Bergman's microdermabrasion cream is hands down the best one I've come across so far.

It has the tiniest diamond shaped aluminium oxide crystals that exfoliates even more than  similar products out there that have bigger particles. Don't be fooled though, it's very strong and you ought to be careful not to hurt your skin. The creamy texture gives good amount of hydration too. I would recommend this cream to anyone who likes manual exfoliation for little pigmentations and fine wrinkles, I personally like following with a good face oil to top up my game.

Review : Ren Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask

REN Skincare is very well loved in skincare industry, not only because they are paraben, sulphate, mineral oil, petrolatum, fragrance, silicon etc free but also they are kind and effective products.

Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask promises to remove dead skin cells, helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, combats congestion, blackheads and blemishes and an overall brighter and radiant skin. 

This is a chemical exfoliant mask, it means that it doesn't contain any hard particles that you need to rub against your face in order to exfoliate, instead it has fruit extracts (passion fruit, lemon, grape, pineapple and papain from papaya to be exact) that naturally have exfoliating properties. You leave it on your face for 10 minutes (I personally prefer leaving it up to 25 minutes instead) and remove it with muslin cloth that comes in the box.

Now, the mask itself looks, smells, tastes (yeap!) and feels like orange marmalade. Some people could feel a bit off putting this on their faces at first, also feel some little tingling sensation. If you are like me and you have not-so-sensitive face you won't feel the tingling.

I think this mask is a great option for those who are new to chemical exfoliation and those who have sensitive skin. Not that it gently exfoliates, it also moisturises as well.

You can start using this mask from once a week up to three times a week. I need to warn you though, you won't see immediate results after first uses, you need to be consistent in order to see your pigmentation and spots to fade away. 

This mask costs 'jeesussss-christ-really?' 50 euros in here Amsterdam. Though I really like most of the things from this brand, for quality/price performance-wise I would prefer Alpha-H's Liquid Gold Mask or Filorga's Meso Mask instead. 

Review : Alpha-H Triple Action Cleanser

This is a review of Alpha-H's Triple Action Cleanser but I need to warn you that I might be a little biased cause this brand is awesome (see what I did there?)

Alpha-H is an Australian brand that has a few hero products like Liquid Gold (4% glycolic acid treatment), Liquid Gold Mask (my all time favorite exfoliating mask) and their 50SPF moisturizer (such a lovely texture that doesn't leave any white residue behind).

This cleanser is a transparent gel that doesn't foam. The best thing about it is the fact that it cleanses without stripping your face from its essential oils. I think even the sensitive skin could easily benefit from this product. If you're removing heavy make-up, you need to cleanse twice. Actually we need to cleanse twice in the evenings twice if we wear make-up and/or sunscreen.

I find this gentle cleanser to perfectly fit for even the most sensitive skin. Plus, considering price/quality ratio, it's a good investment.

Review : Alpha H Purifying Clay Mask with vitamin A

I have a combination skin, I tend to get oily on my T zone and normal to dry (depending on the season) on my cheeks. And I have blackheads over my nose. Yea, disgusting.

today i finished the 50ml tube (mind you half of the retail size) it lasted quite some time though.

I really enjoy clay masks to get rid of the gunk in my pores and help with my blackheads. I need to say this clay mask of Alpha-H is pretty different than the conventional ones. It has vitamin A, the source of retinol and the consistency is more gooey and less drying than a conventional clay mask. It still does the job with an added benefit: when I take it off it looks like it helps with my complexion. Less drying effect is always a plus.

Today I squeezed the last bit of the 50ml tube which is the half size of the original one. I would definitely advice this mask to those who have combination to oily skin. Don't forget to slap on a moisturising mask though. It's never good to leave your skin dehydrated. 

What is your favourite clay mask?

Review : Alpha-H Liquid Gold

Alpha-H is an Australian brand that offers high performance skincare with reasonable prices. Especially if you keep an eye on their kits, you can get so many divine products with discounted prices.

Today I want to talk about Liquid Gold. When I surf on the internet I see so many mixed reviews. Having used it wrongly, initially I thought LG was useless. Before going into the details this is the official description of the product;

Designed specifically for the treatment and reduction of minor skin complaints, Alpha-H Liquid Gold is a highly effective resurfacing and firming lotion for your skin.

Recognised for its natural medicinal properties, liquorice within Alpha-H Liquid Gold visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, hyper-pigmentation, sun damage, acne, scarring and breakouts.

The complex formula consists of glycolic acid, recognised for its rejuvenating qualities combined with the soothing and softening properties of liquorice root extract. Together these gently stimulate the production of collagen whilst creating a complexion that is lighter, clearer, and more even.

Most of the people who use this use it wrongly. Liquid Gold contains 5% glycolic acid and looks like water: completely transparent. In order to get benefits from this product you need to apply it after cleansing (and toning if you want), and you MUST MAKE SURE THAT YOUR SKIN'S PH LEVEL IS 5.5. If you have a foaming cleanser, your skin's pH level will go even higher than 7 (mostly around 9) and Liquid Gold won't work. Actually, any kind of skincare product that has acids in it won't work.

Therefore, you need to cleanse your skin (and/or tone your skin) with a cleanser that will restore skin's natural pH level (5.5) or lower. If you do this step right, you will benefit from your LG, if you don't, you have a mediocre moisturiser.

LG is good for fine lines, pigmentation problems, congested skin, acne and oily skin. You need to use it 2-3 per week without moisturising. And make sure to use a SPF in day time. And please don't over exfoliate.